autoantonym

English - English

Definition of autoantonym in English English dictionary

A word that has two opposing meanings

Dust: means to remove dust from or to spray or cover something with fine powder.

{i} word having two opposing meanings (such as the word "dust" which means "to remove dirt or dust" and also means "to sprinkle" or "scatter dust" or "cleave" which means "to split" and it also means to "to join together")

Synonyms

contranym, contronym

Etymology

() auto- +‎ antonym. Coined or reported as autantonym by Joseph T. Shipley, 1960.Shipley, Joseph T. Playing with Words. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1960, p. 74